Xbox One system update for May now live

Xbox One owners, your May system software update has begun rolling out for all regions.

If you've been awaiting new features, such as voice messages and the ability to power On/Off your console via the Xbox One SmartGlass app, today you can do so. There are also additional user selectable power mode options and new dedicated servers for party chat which should help those who are having issues with the feature.

Thanks to your continued feedback, a new month means we get to deliver a new set of fan-requested features on Xbox One. We’re streamlining your gaming experiences even more this time around, whether you’re looking for an easier way to power up the console or connect with distant friends in real time through voice messaging.

Let’s dive into the full list of features rolling out today in the May system update:

Voice Messages – Starting today, you can now send and receive voice messages from the Xbox One messages app. This is the No. 1 feature requested in the Friends and Parties area on the Xbox Feedback site > “Add audio message …” Quickly and easily record audio to send to your friends or others through your snapped messages app, accessed through a simple quick double tap of the Xbox button. Additionally, voice messages can be exchanged between Xbox 360 and Xbox One consoles.

Power On/Off from Xbox One SmartGlass – The Xbox One SmartGlass app for Windows, Windows Phone, iOS and Android are being updated to let you power your Xbox One on and off when your devices are on the same home network as your console. This feature request has more than 4,000 votes on the Xbox Feedback site.

User Selectable Power Mode – We are also altering the initial setup experience on Xbox One worldwide to enable you to select your preferred power mode. Instant-on enables you to use the “Xbox on” voice command and receive background updates to console, game and app updates. Energy-saving mode is a low power state that requires you to press the Xbox button on your console to start up your Xbox One. For additional information, see this post on Xbox Wire.

Dedicated Servers for Party Chat – Back in March, we enabled dedicated chat relay servers for Xbox One preview members to solve NAT traversal issues that prevented some people from being able to use party chat. Over the coming weeks, we will start to expand the availability of the party chat relay services beyond preview members to a broader audience as we continue to fine tune the feature and scale out the servers needed to support party chat relay services.